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Big Smoke, Big Screen: 20 Film Writers on London & Cinema
What if you gathered some of the UK's most passionate film critics and asked them to explore the subject of London and cinema?
Big Smoke, Big Screen brings together 20 essays blending film analysis, history, and personal reflection. From deep dives on institutions like the Prince Charles Cinema and the London Underground, to spirited musings on Palmers Green and Hampstead Heath, these writings map the city’s influence on filmmakers and audiences alike. Through fresh, original perspectives, the book explores films like Blow-Up, Children of Men, and Paddington, and touches on themes of identity, memory, and grief, tracing how we perceive London through its rich cinematic culture – both in person and on-screen.
Go behind the scenes in interviews with TfL Film Office’s Kate Reston, ArtHouse Crouch End owner Sam Neophytou, Gay’s the Word bookshop manager Jim MacSweeney, and Prince Charles Cinema’s head of programming, Paul Vickery. Alongside the essays, explore over 200 curated recommendations of London-set films, from the best LGBTQ+ movies to a canon of films that depict London at the end of the world.
Featuring essays Ella Kemp, Hannah Strong, Emily Maskell, Rory Doherty, Steph Green, Yasmin Omar, Lillian Crawford, Leila Latif, Fedor Tot, Lilia Pavin-Franks, Adam Solomons, Savina Petkova, Manuela Lazić, Jasmine Valentine, Ben Flanagan, Tom Barnard, Rafa Sales Ross, Anna McKibbin, Jack Blackwell, Laura Venning.
Edited by Tom Barnard. Design by Rejane Dal Bello. Produced by Juanjo Barreda.
A WeLoveCinema Book.
Big Smoke, Big Screen brings together 20 essays blending film analysis, history, and personal reflection. From deep dives on institutions like the Prince Charles Cinema and the London Underground, to spirited musings on Palmers Green and Hampstead Heath, these writings map the city’s influence on filmmakers and audiences alike. Through fresh, original perspectives, the book explores films like Blow-Up, Children of Men, and Paddington, and touches on themes of identity, memory, and grief, tracing how we perceive London through its rich cinematic culture – both in person and on-screen.
Go behind the scenes in interviews with TfL Film Office’s Kate Reston, ArtHouse Crouch End owner Sam Neophytou, Gay’s the Word bookshop manager Jim MacSweeney, and Prince Charles Cinema’s head of programming, Paul Vickery. Alongside the essays, explore over 200 curated recommendations of London-set films, from the best LGBTQ+ movies to a canon of films that depict London at the end of the world.
Featuring essays Ella Kemp, Hannah Strong, Emily Maskell, Rory Doherty, Steph Green, Yasmin Omar, Lillian Crawford, Leila Latif, Fedor Tot, Lilia Pavin-Franks, Adam Solomons, Savina Petkova, Manuela Lazić, Jasmine Valentine, Ben Flanagan, Tom Barnard, Rafa Sales Ross, Anna McKibbin, Jack Blackwell, Laura Venning.
Edited by Tom Barnard. Design by Rejane Dal Bello. Produced by Juanjo Barreda.
A WeLoveCinema Book.
226 pages, Paperback
Published December 10, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 23, 2024
Absolutely essential for the film fan in London
December 25, 2024
Wonderful. I love cinema and I love London, and each chapter of this speaks so well to why the two overlap so well.
March 7, 2026
cute wee collection!
March 17, 2025
“London is a city that, by design, has a habit of making you feel small. Not merely by the standards of its vast, daunting size, but through the indifference it has towards those who choose to spend their lives there.”
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews